Areas of Expertise
1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
DraftKings Launches Retail, Mobile Sports Betting in Illinois, William Hill Opens Chicago-Area Sportsbook
On Wednesday, after much fanfare and anticipation, DraftKings became the fourth sports betting operator to go live in Illinois, as the sports gaming technology company opened a retail sportsbook at the DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis. DraftKings also became...
PointsBet Sets Online Casino Deal in New Jersey, Lands Indiana Pacers Partnership
Australian-based gaming company PointsBet has been busy making announcements for its American-based operations. On Thursday, it said its New Jersey subsidiary reached a 10-year agreement with Twin River Management Group to serve as an iGaming skin in New Jersey. The deal, however,...
Nevada Legislature Back in Session to Discuss Casino Worker Safety, Unemployment Reforms
A bill filed Monday in the Nevada Legislature would give certain businesses in the state, including casinos, protection from COVID-19 lawsuits. But it also calls on casinos to put in place worker safety provisions labor leaders have sought. Senate Bill 4 would...
COVID-19 Now Keeps Cardinals Off the Field Through Thursday as Casino Trip Confirmed
After seeing its weekend series against Milwaukee get postponed because of a COVID-19, the St. Louis Cardinals found out Monday that they’ll be sitting out at least four more games as the virus has spread among the team. As many as seven...
NHL Betting Action Heats Up as Players Return to Ice in Stanley Cup Qualifiers
After a nearly four-month absence, the National Hockey League resumed play this past weekend with games in Toronto and Edmonton featuring plenty of excitement. Five of the first 10 games were won by a goal. That included Sunday’s 2-1 win by the...
Illinois Horsemen, Local Officials Raise Concerns Over Churchill Downs Comments on Arlington International
Arlington International Racecourse’s summer meet ends on Sept. 26. But it may also be the final day ever of racing at the historic track outside Chicago. On Thursday, Churchill Downs Inc. -- which owns the Arlington Heights track -- held its second-quarter...
Baseball Analyst Says Cardinals Players Visited a Casino Before COVID-19 Outbreak Hit Team
The St. Louis Cardinals became the latest Major League Baseball team to have players test positive for COVID-19, and a broadcast analyst insinuated that a trip to a casino may be to blame. On Twitter Saturday, former major leaguer Jerry Hairston, Jr....
New York Casinos Remain Closed as Gov. Cuomo Says They’re Not Essential
As New York continues its strong comeback from the COVID-19 crisis, not all businesses have been able to reopen and start on the road to recovery. Among those are the state’s commercially licensed casinos, which employ thousands. Earlier this month, six of...
Illinois Gaming Board Allows Haven to Pull Danville Casino Application
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) on Thursday voted to let Haven Gaming withdraw its application for a casino in Danville, giving the company a chance to resubmit its paperwork at a later date. The board spent just five minutes on the matter,...
MGM Resorts International Makes Hornbuckle Permanent CEO After Search
Bill Hornbuckle — the man MGM Resorts International picked to lead the company in the interim — will be the one who guides it for the long-term. On Wednesday, the Las Vegas-based gaming company announced that they took the "acting" title off...